Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-02

upon tAe prepooooos psoeeoed appees 70 b
Frs. Careful reemaE. Of sseesoes 10 ssd soa
Revlsed 4tausa p.srist g Coanabe wlIl show
made q tSs coiiecsions fron ne two scercss :.
being n tse mc!seds q i:vyins snd coiisesins:
ven q TIE several f0rmsof municipal eovGnmeat
Iss.s s.' s Ssso n s's ss e ss .D e
:sccSsss synf g wssss st. cs :. me- "a ia''s'
ss II l sss 'gD:,,.ss ss g. s n
S!Ita: Thsre has been Z sasp'us In sss water
xcsn Be corrected until the Dsircs Of fss United
States mall have laid main ot become the owner
Aitef caTeful consideration Of the sssvs your
committee submit these News:
First As far - your COMMITTEES has any On
our present municipal aItnoriiiss Are Sut follow.
ing construction OF the law which IVES initiated
oy tnslr preGecessora
animadverslon should now Be made upon what
seems 70 De constructionof long standing, And
osS q esn T g st ss
can attentioa 70 various laws relating Sener.
authorities, and particularly to the management
OF the water department and the regulation OF
the water fund: After considering at some
rentals and water-main taxes the report ssys,
"YOur committee are fully OF the opinion that these
ss ss sSSsa g q e" e e
position In the answer that the Congress has re.
carried these funds as indistingusha6ie, this must
az 1883 70 Suse have ~ eass
language Of the estimates submitted And these
estimates have Jumped under the same head items
isss, there lump sun; o. SIS s 90 asked Tor
wv s
clearly belong to two different funds-one. the
water tax; the other, water rentals Also, cost Of
same category. AS the Consrs IS thus made no dis
unctton In the act II may very plaasiby be argued
confirms or adopts the Current construction oi the
laws. Your committee believe this to be more
plausible than sound. II the law mandates that
purpose, Then no assumed construction to the con-
trary can be accepted as correct. The intent Of
snacng law = gu g 20 ss
be contravened By custom. nor by legislative In
"Your committee Is OF the opinion that the direct
utterances OF the Congress as already noted are
the rather 70 be construed as viewing these funds
separate than that the simple acceptance OF I'm
properly constructed estimates can be viewed as
ratification OF an erroneous construction OF law.
that the vaous FUNDS oi the wer de
partment are TO be commingled, nor do our muui-
cipal authorities seem TO Ind any such posifire
laws apparent,v regard The water rents as the
eiast; Item 70 Be regulated to meet necessary en-
Whatever therefore, may have been the
practice In the past IN regard 10 these
| FUNDS your committee are or tue opinion that IL
Was not warranted, and without assuming TO Gen.
sure the current construction OF our various num-
cipal authorities upon this point your committee
believe such construction TO have been wiLh-
tees opinion that sections 1888 and 2o3, T. s D. C.,
recognize and call for distinct funds, and no taE
In either should be greater than 70 meet the ext
gencfes demanded by the peculiar expense speci-
Ned In each section as distinct from that specified
In the other. 1t Is with difi1dence that your CON-
variance With that which appears TO have been
held in TINS District for many years by Its num-
cipal authorities,
aspect OF this question. The equitable One that
AS water rent should not pay BIS " ter tax, and,
conversely, surely needs no argument.
INCREASED WATER RENTS FOR 1888.
'Our municipal authorities state that an in
crease was recommended by the water department
but was not made, as the balance on hand could be
utilized and better administration would induce
greater receipts But one Recommendation was
adopted, viz: more logical and accurate levying
which incidentally caused an increased OF about
Upon TINS proposition your commtteo submit the
The tabulated statement furnished upon request
by the authorities shows the water rentals:
Fer lsss- ss estimated TO Be: sI7ooco 90
Making surplus of............. 3l.45s 81
Increase In rentals (per answerl....... 10000 90
Leaving to be accounted for. ..... s2I,459.57
There are up TO date 2s.ls0 water takers at
$4,000; TINS makes an average OF about SO apiece.
la fna frSy
mean average OF $aT.
The Increase in water takers for 1887 was 2 III,
and for 1883 may be assumed to be at least the
Amount to be accounted for ............ SCI 1851
ELY water takers at $5.77. 12,2l4O8
baiahce. Sy4o.42
This may be accounted for In various ways The
estimate OF may be too large; the averages
rents fractional water rates made whole rentals.
new fractional rates, &C. The data appears to
bear out the statement that the change In rentals
has Induced An increase OF only about $4,000.
More than this. this result was obtained by care
full estimate made by the water department OF the
and the sums total nude the above difierence'
Tails statement In detail for each and every house.
establishment, &C.. supplied with water has been
verted. The exact difference az shown BY this
statement Is SlO,S16. To- Wniie this may seem
paradoxical In that IL is contrary to the received
same opinion, now submit that IL Is true.
But the point may w raised that the appropria.
ton, for 1887 were $1SS 788 and for 1888 they
$268. POI. How ID this difference Of S194l3 TO be
OBJ AIMED II there only $4,000 increase? The
statement furnished answers TINS The revenues
amount TO $23l 900; 5000 Is saved in the pump
Ing engine, aud The balance cones from The money
In the Treasury 70 the credit OF the water depart.
ment
INCREASED WATER SUPPLY
while upon this subject some expression OF
opinion upon the INCREASED water supply" would
seem to be pertinent. Your committe would say
that this opens up vast field that its considera-
ton must be for tine present waived, with the
simple opinion contained In our ,clusions which
are drawn from the foregoing premises
Your committee submit these conclusions:
First. That our municipal authorities for many
years past have made no di sttnct betweenwa er
rentals" and "water taxes" with regard TO the dis
position OF the moneys raised, but
and contrary to express law, which positively
directs each fund TO be separate and for its own
peculiar uses.
Third. There has been in the s.water rentals no
increase as such, but a change which has Incl.
dentally Inaie an increase OF about $4,000
shall pay the interest upon our share Of the ex.
pense OF the 'fncreaSed water supply"
Fifth. Il does not require that the water rentals
must pay the principal, but
sixth, The law does require that principal as
nuea"
In conclusion, the committee expressed prat,n.
cation at the facility for investigation extended
them by Col. Ludlow aRd tAo employees Of the
water department.
THE RAILR0AD QUESTION.
When the subcommittee on steam railroads was
called upon to report Mr.. c. b Church, tho CHAIR
man. stated that he regretted TO say that the sub